"It's my life, it's now or never. I'm not gonna live forever. I just want to live
while I'm alive." - Jon Bon Jovi

Services

I specialize in many different areas to assist you in your healing process:

Couples Communication Skills
How often do you hear or think, "He just isn't listening to me!" or "She doesn't get it!" Men and women communicate differently, and although we may not exactly be from different planets, sometimes it seems we do speak a different language. I can help you and your partner improve listening skills, enhance couples communication and help you change your current styles and patterns of conflict into a more productive and satisfying solution for both of you.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Anger and rage, nightmares, sleep disturbances, alcoholism, hypervigilance, anxiety, irritability, paranoia and other symptoms can result from experiences with extreme stress or trauma. More than 300,000 of our military men and women are returning home from Iraq and Afganistan with symptoms associated with PTSD. Recognizing and helping people deal with the effects of PTSD requires working with someone who is specially trained. I have studied with the Marine Corps and other branches of service to attain special accreditation for working with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) clients.

Depression / Individual Therapy
You may have a need to talk with someone outside your circle of friends and family about things that are upsetting you on any level. Perhaps you are feeling down, or depressed. Perhaps you are struggling with a recent change in your life, or even trying to cope with something from the past that you just can't seem to let go. Maybe you are suffering from an addiction. I will try to help you understand your confusion, and give you coping skills and insight to help you enjoy a more satisfying and complete life. In addition, I can help one person deal with a relationship issue and help change the dynamics even if your partner is unwilling or unable to come to therapy with you.

Couples Therapy
Communication skills tops the list of most couples' related difficulties. In addition to teaching conflict resolution and active listening, I can also assist you and your partner in dealing with daily struggles you may be encountering. Perhaps you are new in your relationship and want to give it the best chance for success. Perhaps you are confused about where you want a long-term relationship to go. I can help you sort out your feelings and understand your current conflicts to help you find the direction that is right for you.

Sex Therapy
If you and your partner are not connecting on the physically intimate level you want, for example, lack of orgasm (inorgasmia) or erectile dysfunction (premature ejaculation or lack of erection or sustaining erection), there are techniques and information you can use that can greatly enhance your sexual enjoyment. These are easily taught, along with open communication, to significantly improve your love life!

Family Therapy
The family is a complete system, and each family has rules and structure unique to it. When someone in the family seems to upset the equilibrium, or when a relationship within the family (mother-child, father-child, in-laws, siblings, etc) causes distress, let me help you try to bring the family back together, or assist in any way needed to help the family move on. Remember-- addictions of any kind also affect the whole family. If a member of your family is suffering through an addiction, chances are you and the rest of the family are, too!

Anxiety Reduction and Phobias
Anxiety is the number one mental health complaint that people feel, yet it is also the one most people believe they must handle on their own. From specific anxieties such as test-taking fears or fears of talking with strangers; to phobias such as fear of flying, or snakes, for example; to generalized anxiety such as fear of public speaking or fear of leaving the house; to any situational anxiety like job insecurity or relationship concerns.. Even PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which can cause a slew of symptoms from daytime anxiety, to nightmares and insomnia, can learn to be controlled. I can teach you relaxation. stress reduction, biofeedback, and help you gain insight into the reasons behind your fears with a goal of allowing you to conquer and control them.

Coping Skills
Life presents challenges. Sometimes we want to crawl under the sheets of our bed and hide there indefinitely. No matter what is causing you distress, odds are good that there are ways to help you cope with whatever you must cope with. Whether it be relaxation reduction, or dealing with the issue head-on, enhancing your coping skills can help life seem more bearable.

Grief Therapy
We all suffer from losses throughout our lives. Some losses are huge, like death or divorce. Even getting a new job or moving can cause a sense of profound loss or grief, with some changes being more difficult to accept than others. There are set stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, along with my own addition of hope, that we all traverse when coping with a significant change or debilitating loss. Children grieve, as well. Divorce, moving, loss of a pet, loss of a friend or family member... these are all triggers for experiencing grief , which is very hard to bear alone.

Phone Consultations
Let's talk. We can set up a first-time consultation for a complete evaluation. After that, when future appointments are set, we can even accommodate your schedule to include telephone consultations or phone appointments if coming to my office for you is not possible at that time. This allows you the comfort and knowledge that in moments of crisis or stress, when an office visit may not be feasible, that I can offer you my services and support via telephone or even email, so you are never left feeling completely alone.